Welcome to my first-ever AEW Fan Survey results. This humble project aims to get a glimpse at how AEW fans feel about the current product, examine what AEW is doing well, and identify things that AEW can improve upon or avoid doing to turn off the current fanbase.
The questions in the AEW survey were kept pretty simple–I asked fans basically how long they had been watching AEW, what made them first tune in, who their favorite and least favorite wrestlers are, and what are some things they like about the product, and some things they dislike about the product. From their answers, we can get some relevant information about what AEW viewers think about the product, and also have data to instruct us on potential future decisions made by Tony Khan and the company.
I was able to solicit 1,635 answers to the survey, with many respondents taking their time to give thoughtful feedback to each question. The survey drew responses from 47 states (damn you, Alaska, Idaho, and Wyoming!) as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. The survey also drew responses from 51 countries, including Malta, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria and Chile.
While this is obviously a hugely impressive total, it should be understood that this is just a tiny portion of AEW’s fanbase. Of course, since the survey was mainly shared on wrestling-based social media, the results are obviously going to be skewed towards hardcore AEW fans who are following wrestling accounts on social media.
I want to thank everyone who shared the survey link. Without that kind of community effort, we wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much feedback as we did get, which really made this survey process a success. I want to particularly thank Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, John Pollock and Post Wrestling, Trevor Dame and Josh Nason of F4W/WON who all helped by sharing the link to the survey on their prominent social media accounts.
And of course, I want to thank each and every person who took the time to fill out the survey and give thoughtful feedback to the questions I asked. This was a huge success and I look forward to doing another survey, with some improvements, in the future.
AEW Fans have been watching since the beginning
The survey shows that AEW fans have largely been watching the promotion since it first started, adding roughly the same percentage of fans during each subsequent year. This is likely a symptom of the sample we are pulling from, with hardcore fans more likely to have been day-one viewers.
The data does track with what we have seen from AEW viewership and PPV purchasing trends–AEW pretty quickly cultivated a loyal audience from fans, who by and large, have stuck through with the product over the past five years. Under 10% of fans reported having started watching AEW after 2021.
AEW Fans recognize pre-AEW stars
The survey showed that respondents started watching AEW largely because they already recognized some of the wrestlers before the company started. That data tracks with the responses to the first question–since most fans watched from the very beginning, they were familiar with some of the Day 1 wrestlers, certainly in the case of someone like Chris Jericho who had been a major star in the US for two decades.
14.5% of respondents said that they started watching due to the early hype around the company. This group of fans could largely be attributed to successful marketing and advertising, whether that was directly from the company, or from other fans, that convinced fans who didn’t know much about the product prior to watching it for the first time, but have stuck around as fans.
Only 3% of respondents reported that they first started watching AEW because a former WWE wrestler was appearing on the show. While we have seen the debuts of ex-WWE wrestlers pop ratings for their first appearance(s) in AEW, that interest has often not been sustained, which may suggest that non-AEW fans sample the product to see a wrestler they like in AEW, but are not consistently sticking around to see the product on a week-to-week basis.
AEW Fans Watch 1-2 Shows per Week
The survey shows that about half of all respondents said that they watched every AEW TV show, every week. Another 32% reported that they watch one show a week. In most cases, I assume that one show is AEW Dynamite. I’d also assume that watching “every TV show, every week” is an option some fans chose who watch Dynamite and Collision regularly, but not Rampage. In the future, I will add that as an option to the survey as several people voiced their opinions to me that it should have been included as an option.
10% of fans said that they watch AEW on occasion, 2% said they only watch the PPV events, and 4.5% reported that they rarely watch AEW at all. For the purpose of the rest of the data in this survey, I think we can say that 16% of respondents are the “casual” fans who responded to the survey.
AEW Fans Like Wrestling
The short-answer questions on the survey give us less trackable hard data, but by going through the different submissions, obvious trends pop up. When asked what fans enjoy about the AEW product, by far the most common answer was the high level of in-ring action that the company produces.
“I like that it feels real, also I just love the wrestling man the matches people get to see on the weekly are insane I was never a big “wrestling” fan sadly if that makes sense because I was pretty much brainwashed into thinking there was only one style, but after AEW started it took me down this insane rabbit hole of Japanese Style, Lucha, and Joshi stuff hell even sometimes I’ll hear about great matches from the 70’s or and old era I will and go back and watch it cause AEW got me to love the actual “sport” of wrestling that much,” – A Survey Response from California
“They offer the best wrestling on the planet right now,” – A Survey Response From Czechia
“The high quality wrestling, the diversity of wrestlers and styles, some of the stories are good, and I like the collaboration with some other promotions to introduce us to more wrestlers and their stories,” – A Survey Response from Illinois.
Fans in-particular expressed a significant appreciation for the style of in-ring wrestling, which is different from the style presented in WWE, and an overall product that was focused on in-ring matches and less on outside-of-the-ring promos and interactions, as well as showcasing a harder, more violent style of pro wrestling that allows performers to feel more authentic and real, especially when compared to the more corporate WWE.
“I had been watching WWE and I never knew matches could be so much edgier or bloody and of high quality like AEW, including concepts like Blood and Guts and Anarchy in the Arena so that’s awesome,” – A Survey Response from Kenya.
“Emphasis on wrestling, the use of blood, and that it is a product geared to appeal to hardcore fans,” – A Survey Response from Massachusetts.
“The actual wrestling is top tier. It’s a little rough around the edges production wise but I kind of like it that way. Doesn’t feel overly produced and it feels like the talent has more ownership of their characters. Plus I think Tony is a funny dude and genuinely cares about wrestling as more than just a business,” – A Survey Response from New Jersey.
“Good quality wrestling, variety of styles, it’s a wrestling company that’s not embarrassed to be a wrestling company. Gives people a job in the industry that wouldn’t always get one,” A Survey Response from Canada.
AEW Fans Don’t Like It When AEW Is Like WWE
Another obvious trend that comes from the results, and one that makes sense when considering how many fans pointed to AEW not being like WWE is a strength, is fans saying that something they did not like about AEW was when the product more closely resembles the typical WWE-style of sports entertainment and not more serious, traditional pro wrestling.
“Those rare occasions where things feel too WWE: dropped storylines, ignoring history, boilerplate promos that don’t feel authentic to the character,” – A Survey Response from Massachusetts
“There are times where I think they rely heavily on sports entertainment, especially all of 2023 felt like they were following a lot of the tropes I was trying to get away from in my weekly TV wrestling product.,” – A Survey Response from New Jersey
“When it tries to be more like “sports entertainment,” I think it falters. This is mainly an issue with guys like The Acclaimed, or MJF in the latter half of his title reign,” – A Survey Response from New Mexico
“When they try to emulate WWE and go too far with it. Not that I want only matches all the time but they have sometimes added too much “ga ga” to their product, especially in almost any storyline involving Chris Jericho,” – A Survey Response from South Dakota
AEW Fans Feel Storylines Are Lacking
By far the most common critique AEW fans had of the product was the booking and storylines of the company. Many fans expressed that the storylines often lacked cohesion, and that while the in-ring wrestling was often good, matches often left fans with something to be desired in terms of an emotional investment in the product.
“A lot of weak, under-developed storylines that don’t give the matches the weight and surrounding drama they deserve. When they do storylines right mixed with awesome in-ring action – there’s nothing better. But there have been more misses than hits as of late,” – A Survey Response from Sweden
“Sometimes there is a lack of focus during the builds or segments on the shows. They present too many ideas at once during angles sometimes and it takes away from added excitement,” – A Survey Response from New York
“The storylines on a week to week basis don’t always make much sense and the PPVs get thrown together built on dream matches a lot of the time but at some point the dream matches will run out and it will be left to the bookers to make compelling television because right now I am not compelled to watch,” – A Survey Response from Georgia
“The lack of focus from time to time. I’m not as hung up on “STORYTELLING” and the constant discourse it creates but sometimes AEW’s stories and characters can be scattered and slightly nonsensical. I’m not watching wrestling for Shakespeare level storytelling but it’s nice to have stories that interlock about make sense and AEW often struggles with that,” – A Survey Response from Illinois
A major issue identified by fans was the feeling that wrestlers would gain some momentum, only to disappear from television without explanation, or fail to truly climb up the card. This in effect is punishing fans for getting emotionally invested in the product, if they don’t feel like that investment is being rewarded through booking.
“Guys will be a focal point for a week or two then don’t see them for a month or two again,” – A Survey Response from Colorado.
“So much of the roster gets start/stop pushes. Talent often disappears for weeks or months at a time, usually with no explanation or angle to write them out. Storylines are often weak and feel like they’re booked week by week,” – A Survey Response From Canada
“AEW can struggle maintaining momentum from one segment or show to the next. I don’t feel like AEW has that clear vision and structure behind its storytelling anymore. Instead it feels like Tony Khan is constantly trying to appease 12 different people in each segment, leading to uneven and messy tv/storytelling.
The incredibly bloated roster doesn’t help here. People get hot, then get chucked aside and cooled down because it’s someone else’s turn now. I’ve reached a point where I struggle to invest in storylines and characters because there’s no real room for growth or character development in the company. I think this influences the common (sometimes bad faith) complaint that AEW is just about great matches. I don’t think this is completely true but with so many great wrestlers and stars who shouldn’t be losing very often but who also need to be on the show every week, it’s not surprising to me that tv matches have become increasingly boring despite having good action, while the PPV’s are still awesome,” – A Survey Response from the United Kingdom
“I HATE the start-stop with wrestlers’ pushes. They won’t commit to making people top guys so no one feels like they are main event talent. Consistency is a problem in the company,” – A Survey Response from Kansas.
What Can AEW Do To Improve?
When asked what are some things AEW can do to improve the product, the answers in general from the audience reflected their feelings on both the strengths and weaknesses of the product. Survey respondents mentioned that they would like to see the booking be improved, as well as a greater focus on in-ring wrestling and on providing a true alternative to WWE programming.
“Honestly, just continue to lean into big matches and tournament/accomplishment based stories. Swerve dragging Hangman down from his perch to rise to the main event scene is largely based on a legitimate desire to be the top star, and that’s why it worked so well. (That and Swerve is f*cking great),” – A Survey Response from Japan
“Just to keep focused on their own show and being the alternative. Really make the effort to elevate guys like they have done with Swerve Strickland. Book interesting multi man tags. They have a good women’s roster now, I would like to see more emphasis on that division. Lots of matches of consequence and using the rankings to further storylines. Less boring promos and less of wrestlers trying to act,” – A Survey Response from Ireland
“Consistently book talent for each show, do a better job following up their angles/programs across all three shows,” – A Survey Response from Connecticut.
“A bit more progression for the likes of Garcia, Hobbs, and Takesh*ta who feel like they’ve been stuck in the same place for a while,” – A Survey Response from Australia
“Put a clear emphasis on winning and losing; Every “character” in AEW should be motivated by money, titles and/or respect. Create distinctions between the various singles titles. No more crowd shots or cutaways during matches; 99.9% of focus should be on what is happening in the ring,” – A Survey Response from California.
Many fans also expressed a shared interest in seeing an increased focus on AEW’s women’s division. Poor use of the women’s division was a frequent answer for what fan’s did not like about AEW, and many suggested in the survey that better booking of that division would increase their interest in the product.
“Better/ more women’s wrestling and intergender wrestling. I believe the world is ready for this on a bigger platform,” – A Survey Response from Arizona.
“Feature the women on more than 1 segment on Dynamite with the talent they have now. I’m understanding that it might be a network issue and not a booker issue,” A Survey Response from Nevada
“Women’s tag belts with more women workers,” – A Survey Response from Oregon
“More womens features on the PRIMARY show (Dynamite), more matches, more screentime in general,” – A Survey Response from Pennsylvania
But What About The Casual Fans?
Ah yes, the casual fans, that sometimes hypothetical blob of fans whose opinions we are told ACTUALLY matter, since they make the difference between a company like AEW being an overwhelming success, or a failure that only appeals to hardcore, Meltzer-reading fanboys.
Obviously that isn’t true at all, and the reality is that AEW’s ability to satisfy its loyal customer base is the key aspect of its survival and ability to thrive so far, five years into its existence. I did however want to look at what some of the more casual fans had to say about the product, and if it differed largely from what the overall consensus had stated in the survey.
Let’s focus on the 168 fans who responded to the survey that said they watch AEW “on occasion” since that is a group of fans who look like they are not regular viewers, but can be swayed to tune in if something perks their interest.
Unsurprisingly, many of this group of fans said that one of the main things they enjoyed about AEW was the high-quality of in-ring wrestling, the focus on actual wrestling as the main aspect of the promotion, and the quality of the wrestlers. In this way, they did not noticeably differ from any of the more hardcore fan groups and what they said they enjoyed about AEW. If anything, this group of fans seemed to care more about the in-ring than other groups, out of 168 respondents, 132 of them explicitly mentioned in-ring quality as of the things they liked about AEW.
“I like the variety of styles that I can see in a show, I like the creative freedom that wrestlers have, I like a lot of the wrestlers themselves, I like that they often collaborate with other promotions, I like that they often focus more on match quality than anything else. I like that they are inclusive,” – A Survey Response from Pennsylvania.
“Its focus on wrestling, and for better and worse, appears to mostly let the talent dictate the direction of title reigns, and story directions. At best it feels like real wrestling as opposed to the plasticity of the Fed,” – A Survey Response from Oklahoma.
“The incredible in-ring work, the likable characters, and diversity of styles, with hardcore, lucha high-fliers, big hosses, technical grapplers, and comedy acts all bouncing off each other. Plus it’s nice that they’re willing to engage with other wrestling companies, that’s always fun,” – A Survey Response from Massachusetts.
Despite common-held beliefs that the best way to capture the inconsistent-viewing audience is to present the product more like WWE, many of the fans in this group pointed out that what they didn’t like about the AEW product was when it tends to be more similar to WWE.
“The things they do that are stolen from WWE tropes. Examples: every backstage interview ever, wrestlers being shown in the back watching a tv of a match at a dumb angle, run ins with entrance music, no DQ’s in a triple threat match, pulling out the ref during a three count(if it’s not a no DQ match that should be a DQ every time,” – A Survey Response from Illinois
“Show trying to be more sports entertainment, I feel AEW works better as a sports based presentation,” – A Survey Response from England.
“The little brother complex. AEW presents much better wrestling than WWE, that is their niche. Stay in that niche, cater to a specific audience and ignore the “competition” because you’re not competing for the same audience,” – A Survey Response from Ohio.
Lastly, much like the more active viewers of the product, the group of 168 pointed out issues with the storylines in AEW as a criticism of the product, and a way that AEW could improve. When asked what AEW could do to enhance their interest in the company, the group frequently pointed to creative changes and a more condensed focus on the product.
“Make the World title and World Champion a central focus. Character motivations can be different, but winning the World title should be the most important thing,” – A Survey Response from Arizona
“Less stop-start booking that slows the momentum of young talents, have wrestlers, storylines play out instead of randomly booked in and out of the lineup. Have younger talent sent on excursion if possible. Less long reigns more interesting changes, don’t let belts (like the trios) get cold,” – A Survey Response from Oklahoma
“Proportional shift back to more actual wrestling. Fewer extended skits and more backstage/match-adjacent promos. More structure in place overall – the Continental Classic seemed to help with building individual interest and storytelling. Perhaps with more PPVs they can establish a better rhythm of focusing on specific storylines leading up to those events, with more clarity about what the important narratives are (vs the current ‘everything and nothing all at once’ feeling). More matches that feel meaningful. Let wrestlers give promos in their first language,” – A Survey Response from the United Kingdom.
Who are the most popular wrestlers in AEW?
Despite only officially starting in the company two months ago, Will Ospreay has already emerged as perhaps the most popular wrestler in the entire company. When asked to name their favorite wrestlers or acts in AEW, 660, or 40% of all respondents, listed Ospreay (respondents were given an unlimited number of names they could list).
Ospreay was the biggest single name listed, followed by Swerve Strickland, who just won the AEW World Championship (the survey was closed before AEW Dynasty took place). Swerve appeared on 627 surveys, or 38% of all ballots submitted. That would seem to be a positive sign for AEW, given that Ospreay and Swerve so far have been the hardest-pushed names in the company in 2024 and seem destined to wrestle a major PPV match later this year, perhaps in the main event of Wembley Stadium.
Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson also have a claim to being the most popular wrestler in the company. Moxley appeared on 462, or 28% of all surveys, and Danielson appeared on 511, or 31% of all surveys. However, since the survey allowed respondents to also list acts, the Blackpool Combat Club as a group was listed on 252, or 15% of all surveys, which obviously could be accredited primarily to Moxley and Danielson’s role in the group.
A more complicated version of those results can be seen with members of The Elite. The Young Bucks were on 288, or 17.5% of returned ballots, while The Elite as a group appeared on an additional 177, or 11% of ballots. Kenny Omega, who technically is no longer a part of The Elite according to recent storylines, appeared on 495, or 30% of all responses, although one would have to assume that some of The Elite voters were still considering Omega as part of The Elite.
The same can be said for official Elite member Kazuchika Okada, who was listed on 318, or 19.5% of all ballots, as well as Adam Page, who canonically is considered part of The Elite, and appeared on 239, or 14% of all ballots.
Since most respondents interpreted the question as asking who their favorite AEW wrestlers were at this very moment, some recency bias may be influencing the results. Ospreay and Swerve are currently the obvious toast of AEW and are being pushed as the hottest new acts in the company. Other acts that are popular but have not been on TV lately, including Page and MJF (260 ballots, or 15%) did not fare nearly as well as one might expect.
Willow Nightengale was by far the most popular woman on the survey, appearing on 311, or 19% of all ballots. Toni Storm was second among female performers, with 206 appearances, or 12.6% of all ballots. Recent mega-signing Mercedes Mone appeared on just 36 of all ballots.
AEW Has A Chris Jericho Problem
Perhaps the most notable result I noticed in the survey was just how much disdain there was in the AEW fanbase for Chris Jericho, who was named as by far the most common answer when fans were asked who their least favorite wrestler in AEW was. Out of 1,631 surveys that were returned, Jericho appeared on a whopping 846 of them, or 52% of all ballots. That was more than 3.5 times the next most common answer was for Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed, which appeared on 224, or 14% of all ballots. Sammy Guevara was third, appearing on 159, or 10% of all responses.
Many of the respondents noted that they even liked Chris Jericho but found the aging veteran to be a stale act that is currently occupying too much TV time.
“Saraya, Chris Jericho (I used to be a big fan but he’s been around too long, it’s time to take a break), Adam Copeland, Brian Cage, Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh,” – A Survey Response from The United Kingdom
“I’ve always enjoyed Jericho but right now he’s taking up too much space,” – A Survey Response from New Jersey
“Jericho(who I still think can turn it around but god he needs to just go away for like 2 months minimum),” – A Survey Response from Illinois
“Personally, Chris Jericho has dwindled for me. He just seems to do the same thing over and over again and sometimes I think that he just doesn’t have the same flair as he once did,” – A Survey Response from Tennessee
Perhaps even more damaging for Jericho is despite being arguably the most famous wrestler on the AEW roster, and one of the most heavily pushed wrestlers in the company since its inception, he managed to appear on only 12 ballots when fans were asked to name their favorite wrestlers in AEW. By comparison, Lance Archer, who barely appears on AEW television, was on 13 ballots.
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